Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Youth Congress on Wednesday held the paragliding operator and the government responsible for the tragic accident which led to the death of the pilot and tourist at Keri.
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Addressing a press conference, Mahesh Nadar, State Working President, Youth Congress, said,” Who should be blamed for the disaster?. Is the operator who was running the activity responsible or is it the government? This insensitive BJP government has been ignoring all adventurous sports in the coastal areas and has failed miserably in keeping a check on paragliding activities.
It is high time the government comes clear on all such activities in Goa.”
Rinaldo Rozario, North Goa District President, claimed that there is no safety for tourists in Goa and due to the overcrowding of beaches, garbage, drinking and gambling in the open, tourists are now preferring other destinations.
“Once Goa was known as a paradise but now we see videos of deserted beaches and empty shacks even during the peak tourist season. We have seen lots of videos of influencers saying tourism is dying in Goa and the beaches are empty. As per the number given by the tourism department, 9.4 lakh foreign tourists visited Goa in 2019 but 2023, it declined to 4.3 lakh. It clearly shows that international tourism is on the downslide. The shack owners used to cater to foreign tourists but today they are catering to none,” he said.
“Many have ditched Goa and now they are visiting countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand. The unplanned development in Goa has led to major disaster. The beaches have become overcrowded, roads are bad and the eco-system is suffering. You can see garbage on the beach side with tourists now drinking and playing cards openly on the beaches. Where is the law and order,”
he wondered.
